Westminster man gets 15-year sentence for burglaries

A Westminster man was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty yesterday in Carroll County Circuit Court to theft in seven burglaries and to one attempted burglary.

Prosecutors said John W. Hopwood, 27, robbed businesses mostly in the Westminster area last spring, including stealing football jerseys belonging to the Baltimore Ravens from a dry cleaners.

According to the plea agreement worked out in the eight cases involving 81 counts, Judge Raymond E. Beck Sr. sentenced Hopwood to 30 years in prison before suspending all but 15 years and placing him on five years of probation after his release.

Beck also ordered Hopwood to pay restitution of $8,270.

All other charges against Hopwood were dropped.

Sykesville man dies after traffic accident

A Sykesville man died Wednesday after he was injured in a two-vehicle accident.

The driver of a pickup truck, Edward R. Banaszkiewicz, 35, of Essex, was attempting to turn left onto Dede Road from Route 140 when his vehicle struck the driver's side of a westbound car driven by Dennis H. Treat, 58, of the 6300 block of Old Washington Road, Trooper Kirk Bandelin said.

The accident occurred at 3: 10 p.m.

Treat was taken to Carroll County General Hospital, where he died of injuries at 3: 58 p.m., Bandelin said.

Banaszkiewicz refused medical treatment, the trooper said.

Westminster teacher chosen for Hadassah trip

Mira Joan Foote of Westminster has been selected to participate in Hadassah's Young Women's Mission to Israel.

Hadassah is the Women's Zionist Organization of America. The Mission to Israel program picks 26 young women each year from across the nation for their commitment to Zionist and community activism, Jewish education and civic leadership.

The group will travel to Israel Feb. 1-11 for political, educational and leadership training seminars; meetings with Israeli officials; visits to historical sites; and tours of Hadassah installations.

Foote teaches reading to dyslexic and language-disabled students and is a volunteer facilitator for Training Wheels, a family education program, for the Hadassah, Baltimore chapter.

Fire

Westminster: Firefighters responded at 5: 59 a.m. Wednesday to a trash fire in the 700 block of Poole Road. Units were out 25 minutes.

Westminster: Firefighters responded at 5: 30 a.m. Wednesday to a trash fire in the 300 block of 140 Village Road. Units were out 35 minutes.

Westminster: Firefighters responded at 5: 10 a.m. Wednesday to a trash fire in the 1100 block of Gist Road. Units were out 21 minutes.